Author: Nancy Guidry

After seeing the complexity of the museum exhibit, and how interactive everything is, it would be cool to mimic this interaction in our site. Having a multitude of links to audio, artifacts, clips old news stories- anything that would allow for further understanding and for connections to be made- would fit nicely with the museum’s design. I was really struck by how much information there was in the museum. Just when I thought I had seen everything, I’d discover that a drawer opens or a panel slides over to reveal another panel behind. If we can provide enough artifacts to create a holistic context for the holocaust, it would aid in creating a deeper understanding of what happened and how it connects to the present day.

I like the idea of keeping the guided group visits focused on person to person contact/ information exchange/ meaning making, and keeping the tech aspect more for in class, pre or post visit exploration.

The idea of getting rubbings of names associated with audio clips is really intriguing, as is Kelly’s “scavenger hunt” idea. Maybe we could ask some open ended questions to guide a scavenger hunt, and students would have to find an object or a part of the memorial that corresponds with their answers.

Things to include: historical narrative of the holocaust (could link to old news articles, etc); connections to present (what are issues from this event that we can take lessons from, or issues that we see coming up in present day society); connections to our PDX community (overview history of Jews in PDX, personal connections of donors & docents)

Also found this. It’s the app Peter mentioned and just so happens to be relevant. Not the greatest informational photo, but in case anyone wants to see it:

Ancient Mesopotamia represents several major historical markers in human history. This time period, about 3500 BCE to 539 BCE, is most famous for its legacies: mass agriculture, first written language, and the first documented system of laws and justice. Below you will find several artifacts that show what life was like for these ancient peoples as well as some of their greatest contributions to human social evolution.

Archaeology has played a key role in discovering ancient Mesopotamian history and culture. Check out this interactive map showing various archaeological sites in the region and different artifacts found at each of the sites.

The first known written language, Cuneiform, was developed in ancient Mesopotamia. Artifacts such as tablets and cylinder seals have allowed historians to date the emergence of Cuneiform writing.

One of the most famous legacies of ancient Mesopotamian civilization is Hammurabi’s Code. This code, which included the laws of land and the rights of its citizens were inscribed on a massive stone slab, many of which are similar to laws currently used in the US justice system.

For a written overview of Hammurabi’s code and a description of some of its ancient laws, click here.

While the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia might not have had the technology available to us today, their civilizations and societies were complex and full of rich culture. This time period is significant for its major contributions to human social progress, and is the foundation for all modern human societies.